Asia - Siam Reap (cambodia) minimum stay

I was informed by a travel agent that cambodian immigration law requires a minimum stay in Siam Reap of one night. Is this the case? If so, are there any ways of getting around it? An airline suggested I could fly into Siam Reap and fly out of phnom penh the same day.

I would ask the Cambodian Consulate, but I am having trouble getting ahold of them during business houirs.

There is no such law that I ever heard of. Corrupt border agents at the land borders with Thailand have been known to ask for a bribe in the past from expats in Thailand doing immediate turn around visa runs but I have never heard of this problem at the airport at Siem Reap and even at the land borders the worst they can do is make you wait around for awhile if you don't pay. They cant force you to remain in the country if your travel documents and visa are valid and you want to leave. If I was the suspicious type I might conclude the travel agent perhaps gets a commission for booking you in a hotel.

There is no such law that I ever heard of. Corrupt border agents at the land borders with Thailand have been known to ask for a bribe in the past from expats in Thailand doing immediate turn around visa runs but I have never heard of this problem at the airport at Siem Reap and even at the land borders the worst they can do is make you wait around for awhile if you don't pay. They cant force you to remain in the country if your travel documents and visa are valid and you want to leave. If I was the suspicious type I might conclude the travel agent perhaps gets a commission for booking you in a hotel.

I think this might be the case. I think I will call the Cambodian embassy again tommorow.

Well I got ahold of the Cambodian Embassy, and it seems they do not allow one day trips to Siam Reap. They said this was in partnership with the airlines, so they have worked with the airlines to prohibit one day return flights.

I can only imagine this was done to increase tourism revenue in Siam Reap. Frankly, it is causing them to lose my tourism money, because I can't spend the night there.

Interesting. So it is an airline ticketing 'rule'. Not an immigration law. It is well known that certain airlines pay off Cambodian government officials for the rights to Siem Riep routs. Given the corruption, this does not surprise me.

Now if it was me........... Two one way tickets are probable the same price as a round trip ticket from most destinations the way fares are generally priced to REP. Myself, I'd roll the dice that this would work just fine but then I am a thick headed individual and can accept it if some scheme like that blows up in my face.

BTW, my first visit to Angkor Wat was a morning arrival/evening departure (except I arrived from PNH and departed to BKK so not first hand same day turn around). Despite what anyone says. IF.. one day is all you have, it is still very much worth it.

who the heck would want to spend 1 day in siem reap?

Angor is a collection of temples that have to be traveled to, walked up and down etc. It's just not possible to do it in a day (to say nothing about the connections to do it in a day aren't great).

It takes about 2 1/2 days to really see the temples and normally because they sell three day passes and because of the transit it works out that it's hard to do it with less than 2 nights of hotels (and probably three). You fly in the afternoon of one day, get up to do things early etc. see the sunset. even if you do it fast, it usually works out to two nights of hotels. To see the sunset--which is incredible--pretty much requires a one night stay

so no matter what the airline rules say or don't say, doing it in a day is pretty much precluded by distance, travel time, climbs.

who the heck would want to spend 1 day in siem reap?

Angor is a collection of temples that have to be traveled to, walked up and down etc. It's just not possible to do it in a day (to say nothing about the connections to do it in a day aren't great).

It takes about 2 1/2 days to really see the temples and normally because they sell three day passes and because of the transit it works out that it's hard to do it with less than 2 nights of hotels (and probably three). You fly in the afternoon of one day, get up to do things early etc. see the sunset. even if you do it fast, it usually works out to two nights of hotels. To see the sunset--which is incredible--pretty much requires a one night stay

so no matter what the airline rules say or don't say, doing it in a day is pretty much precluded by distance, travel time, climbs.

As much as I would love to spend two days there (three would be pushing it for me, I like to see something for a little, get in, get out), I simply don't have the time. I am doing a short whirlwind tour of asia for my children, having extensively traveled through out asia on my own (though never to Cambodia, it was closed back then). The only possible way to do it is a one day trip, whether that means spending the night (inconvenient), or flying in and flying out.

Right now it seems we will have to fly from BKK-Phnom Penh-Siam Reap-BKK, so we will just be spending 9 or so hours in Angkor Wat.

It comes down to, is it better to go for a day/half day or not at all, and I've been told its better to go.

As someone who actually did do Siem Reap in one day on my first trip there I will reiterate. IF that is all the time you have, it's still worth it. Did I see everything? No. Did I return on later trips and spend more time? Yes. Would I have liked to have stayed longer if I could have? Certainly. But in my case, arriving on the first morning flight from Phnom Penh and departing on the last evening flight to Bangkok was the only option I had time for and it was very much worth it. That one day visit I saw my fill of Angkor Wat, the Bayon and allot of the more interesting stuff associated with Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, and quite a few other temples off that large circuit road. I didn't linger, the heat almost killed me at the pace I kept up and I did not see everything but still it was and still is very much worth a day if that is what you have.

Do it and you won’t regret it. Don't let the driver you hire drive the schedule, they might not grasp that you really don't have time for everything. See Angkor Wat, the Bayon/Angkor Thom, and Ta Prohm in that order and then continue around the large circuit with what ever time you have left over and don’t let the driver talk you into anything else. On a one day trip, don’t waste a precious minute in the city of Siem Reap itself.

Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples are changing fast. Massive loads of tourists are deteriorating things in a hurry. Before long they will surely put velvet ropes around everything and you will only be able to see it on 'the official tour' with the 'official tour guide'. See it now while it is still relatively wide open.

The only possible way to do it is a one day trip, whether that means spending the night (inconvenient), or flying in and flying out.

Right now it seems we will have to fly from BKK-Phnom Penh-Siam Reap-BKK, so we will just be spending 9 or so hours in Angkor Wat.

For purposes of maximizing your time spent there, you will have much more time if you spend the night before in Cambodia - whether in Siem Reap (preferred) or in Phnom Penh. You'll be able to get a much earlier start, even if you overnight in PP on your way to Siem Reap - I think the first flight from PP to SR leaves at 6:45 AM, or something like that. (Of course, if you can fly into SR the night before your day of sightseeing, it will be even better - the temples are beautiful at dawn.)

- Michael

first i dont know where you are going in thailand besides bkk, but if it helps there is a nonstop from chang mai to siem reap (as well as non stops from like singapore if i remember right). bangkok air does the non stop, others may too.

it's been several years since i was in angor and i guess my reaction was it was extremely hot, there was a lot of climbing to do. there were a lot of temples to get around to and there are gorgeous views at sunrise and sunset and for all those reasons doing it in a day is just pushing it. but if that's what you have then that's what you have.

my one suggestion is to sign up for a tour in advance. the airport last time i was there was chaotic with everyone trying to find tourists. one of the best is diethelm travel (which does american express)